BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- If there's been one theme to Nick Saban's pre-Crimson Caravan meetings with reporters over the past month, it's scheduling.

From the first to the last, the Alabama coach typically has been asked to share his thoughts, theories or reaction to the latest developments in the SEC scheduling world, which has experienced some much-desired clarity in recent weeks.

"I'm still of the belief that we should play more conference games," Saban said before his appearance at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center. "I think we don't play Florida again until 2022 or whatever after next year, which, I think our players come to the SEC to play SEC schools. Florida has a great program and that's one of the games that our players look forward to playing so I wish we could play the teams on the other side more often."

Saban was a year off, but it doesn't diminish the point he's tried to drive home for months.

After Alabama hosts the Gators on Sept. 20, the teams won't square off during the regular season until 2021. When the Crimson Tide travels to South Carolina in 2019, it will mark the first regular season game between the teams since 2010. When the Gamecocks return the favor in 2024, it will be their first trip to Bryant-Denny Stadium in 15 years.

One of Saban's top talking points for nine SEC games centered on how it would enable a four-year player to square off against every conference team at least once during his career. Keeping the schedule at eight conference games while maintaining permanent rivals -- the latter of which Saban strongly supports -- eliminates nearly half of the opposite division from a player's career.

"I'm not here to be critical of anything that's been done," Saban said. "I've been saying all along that I wanted to play nine games and I wanted to keep our game with Tennessee because it's an important game and play two teams on the other side so that the players would play more teams faster. There would be like a four-year rotation or whatever and everybody would have a chance to play everybody in their career, or just about everybody.

"I'm not changing anything. I'm still singing the same song I was singing a year ago. And I still believe it's the best thing for the league."